Gas-producing apparatus



Jan. 15, 1929,

H. F. SMITH GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS 3 Shsets-$heet 1 .ZEYUEHTUJ" Filed Sept. 20. 1921 2527755555 fwd M 21 Jan. 15, 1929.

H. F. SMITH GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 20, 1921 3 SheetsSheet 2 M M zmwA- Jan. 15, 1929.

H. F. SMITH GAS raovucxne APPARATUS Filed Sept. 20. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 :QZTUI'HE ZZZ 71225525 Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

' 1 1,699,165 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFER,

' HARRY F. SMITH, or DAYTON, onzo, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAS aEsEAncficoitPiNY, or DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION, or 01110. p

GAS-PRODUCING APPARATUS.

Application filed September 20, 1921. Serial No. 501,886.

This invention relates to gas generation, and more particularly to the generation of a gas. such as producer gas or the like, from solid carbonaceous fuel. I I

In thegeneration of gas, such as producer gas,-coal gas, and the l1ke, from bituminous coal, lignite, peat, and analogousfuels, considerable quantities of hydrocarbons are evolved. At the high temperatures prevailing within the generating zone. these hydrocarbonsexist as gas or vapois. Some of these hydrocarbons are of such character that they are also gases at normal temperatures and pressures, that is they are fixed gases.-

Others of the evolved hydrocarbons are of such character that at normal temperatures and pressures they are liquids. Gases thus generated may be utilized without further treatment, as is the ease with so called hot or raw producer gas. U nder such circumstances the gas is passed directly from the generatin chamber to its place of use and its temperature is maintained sufiiciently high to prevent condensation of most of the normally liquid hydrocarbons. However a substantial proportion of these hydrocarbons are condensed and deposited along the walls of the mains through which the gas is conducted A substantial part of the available heat energy of the fuel is thus lost.

If it is desired to transport the gas to any considerable distance, or to store the gas for future use, it must be treated to removethese condensable hydrocarbons, for otherwise they would condense in the delivery pipes, or storage apparatus, and cause damage and trouble. 'Wh'en the gas is treated to remove these hydrocarbons it is found that the quantity of tar removed from gas, such as producer gas say, made from bituminous coal, will often average in excess of 20 gallonsof tar per ton of coal. Many clean producer gas plants gasify several tons of coal per hour, some of them running in excess of ten tons per hour. In such aplant the problem of disposing of the large quantities of tar. which result from its operation, has. been, heretofore, a very serious one, and one not satisfactorily solved. And, in addition,- the loss in cliiciency, in the gas making operation, due to the failure to make these removed hydrocarbons into gas has been quite substantial.

In Patent No. 1,394,043 issued to Harry F. Smith, October 18,1921, is shown a method of gas generationinwhich this problem of and the disposal of gasifying the tar is satisfactorily solved, and In which the problem of handling and disposing of the tar is at the; same timejsolved.

This invention has for its principal object the pl'OVlSlOIl of a. method of generating gas, from carbonaceous, fuels; of the character referred to above, irr-which the gasification of such'fuel admixed with tar is accomplished,

p the tar'th'us efie'cted, at the-same time. i

Another object of 'the'iijivmtion is to pro? vide a fuel for use in this of gas generation. r w f 7 Still another object is to proeideapparatus for carrying out the inventlomi Other objects and-advantages will be ap-,

parent from the description thereof set out below, when taken in connection with the ac companying drawing.

While this invention is generally applicable to the generation of gas, forpurposes of description it is shown and described in connection with the generation of producer gas, and as a preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the invention is shown a gas gener- Fig. 2 is a detail view, inverticalsection.

of a modified form of fuel preparing. and .feedingrhechanism; and

'Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view ofstill another modified form of fuel feeding mechanism.

In the gas generating system, shown somewhat diagrammatically. in Fig. 1 the numeral 10 designates the metallic shell of a gas producer. or generator, which is shown somewhat conventionally. The interior of this shell contains the gas generating chamber. within which the fuel bed is, contained, a lining 11 of fire brick, or similar material, being provided.

The lower end of the gas generating cham her is closed by means of the grate 12, which supports the fuel be'd13. the upper end being closed by means of the top 14, a fuel preparing and feeding mechanism, designated generally by the numeral 15, being mounted within a suitable opening in the top, to feed ating system comprising a suctionoperated fuel to the interior of the generating chamber.

The blast, which preferably consists of moisture laden air is introduced through the opening 16 into the ashpit 17, thence passing upzones vary in extent, during operation, and

the'lines of demarcation, between them, as shown on the drawing. are entirely diagrammatic in character. For purposes of easier description these zones are designated asthe .combustion zone (A) the reduction zone (B) and the distillation zone? During operation, of the producer, as the air blast passes upward through the fuel bed, the fuel in the zone A is burned to complete combustion the resulting'hot products of. combustion passing upwardly through the zone B, where the carbon dioxide resulting from'the reactions in the zone A is reduced to carbon 'mon:

oxide, the moisture introducedin the blast? v p in said. patent the tar shouldbe-so returned being decomposed in the two zones A and B,

through reaction with the hot carbon, to form carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Thehot gases resulting-fromithe reactions within the zone B pass "upwardly through the zon O,

which'eonsistsllargelyoffresh or green fuel .introduced thi'oug'h t-he fuel feeding mecha I nisnr, raising the temperature-of the fuel in this zone su-fliciently to causethe driving off or distillation 'of the hydrocarbons therein.

The generated gas passes through the off-: I take 18 and downcomer 20 into the lower endof the condenser or cooler 21. This cones denser has bafile plates 22 arranged therein upon which water is sprayed, which, as it runs downwardly from the bafile plates-comes into initimateconta'ct with the upwardly moving gas to cool and wash it." The gas passes out ofthe condenser through the pipe I 23, which is connected toan exhauster or pump 24. The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 comprises a shctio'n operated producer, the cxhauster 24 serving to draw the air blast through the fuel bed, and the resulting ases from the generating chamber and to orcea that gas, under pressure,tln'ough' the re-- mainderof the system. The gas passing from the exhauster is forced.- through the ex-. tractor or separator 25. This extractor may be of any suitable, desired, type but the type illustrated'is that disclosed in the patent to -Harry F. Smith-No. 1,099,773'isSued June 9,

1914,'and a detailed showingand description of this extractor is therefore not given. described in the patent aboverejferred to, thegas as it passes into the extractor contains a-tremendously large number ofpvery fine or a minute particles of'tar, ortar fog, and as this tar fog passes' through the extractor it is agglomerated into larger which are of sufiicient size to separate out under the action of gravity as the velocity of the J as is slowed down in the separator 26. This separator consists, substantially, of an enlargement in the gas main 27, with the baflle 28 extending referred to Patent No. 1,394,043, if the tar is removed from the gas and returned to the generating chamber in such wise as to be vaporized along with the volatile matter evolved from the coal in the zone Cthe character of the tarsubsequently removed from the gas will be quite different. As set out to the eneratin'g chamber that va ori'zation thereo is" readily ac'complished. ere the separated -ta:rf is'fthus returned, atsubstantiallythe rate at which it is removed from the "gas, the tar subsequently formed is much 'tliinnerand more fluent-, the-3131': is not'so rennin, duc'er practice, when mementos of tar. re-

than isathe' case when d; In actual proturn is practiced, .thecresulting tar has about the consistency of"lu'bric'ating oil, and its handling; is a very simplematten. 'gj In the present .inventi'on the proper distribution of 'the tar', :as' it is returned to the generating chamben isj effected by admixing thetar with the solid-fuel, or coal, introduced into the generatingchamber Connected to the lower e nd of the sump l 29is a pipe-30, which. constitutes the inlet pipeof the pumpBlJfQCOnnected to theoutlet port of thepu'znmhndleading oil therefrom is a pipe '32, to which are connected two branch pipes aa'eaeh of which terminates in anozzle 34, passingthrough the wall of the fuel hop er15; Details of constmction of these nozz es arenot shownsincc many of the well-known conventional types may be iused. Infactjt is not necessary that a spray nozzle be used, for the tar may be introduced through the open ends ofthe pipe 33, or in fanyv other manner which will so distribute it over the fuel in the hopper as to secure substantially uniform distributionthroughout such fuel. This hopper is of somewhat con- 'ventional construction, being providedwith itgcover 35, through which fuel is introduced into the hopper, the lower end being closed vby the, bell closure 36, connected by suitable operating'mechanism to the operating lever 37, which carries thereon a weight 38, to make easier the operation of the device. In feeding fuel into the generating chamber the cover 35 is swung to one side and the hopper filled with fuel, the bell closure 36 being in position to close the lower end of the hopper at this time. The cover 35 having then been closed, suitable manipulation of the lever 37. to cause corresponding nioveu'ient of the bell closure 36, will cause introduction of the fuel into the gas grcneratinc:chamber. and proper distribution .of that fuel orcr the fuel bed. The pump 31 functions to pump the tar which collects in thesump 29, through the pipe :52 and branch pipes 32- to the nozzles 34 where it is sprayed over the fuel within the hopper 15. The tar is thus uniformlyadmixed with the fuel within'the hopper, being spread over that fuel in the form of a layer or. coating. lVhen the admixed tar and coal are introduced into the generating chamber the tar will be uniformly distributed upon the upper levelof the fuel bed, so that its vaporization is readily accomplished, the tar being distributed with that uniformity which gives the best results.

As fully set out in the above referred to patent when the tar is thus introduced, so that its vaporization occurs within the zone in which the hydrocarbons are being evolved from the fresh fuel, or within the zone in which the chemical reactions connected with the evolving of those hydrocarbons are still going on, the resulting hydrocarbons which are present in the withdrawn gas are of substantially different character from the hydro-.

carbons which are formed when the tar is not thus returned. And, since the tar is, in practice, normally returned at substantially the same rate at which it is removed from the gas in the purifying appa 'atus, the gasifying of this tar adds, materially, to the efliciency of the gas making reactions.

In the apparatus described above the tar is admixed with the fuel within the fuel feeding mechanism itself as the fuel is passing therethrough into the generating chamber. In Fig. 2 is shown a different form of feeding mechanism in which the tar is introduced intothe generating chamber along with the fuel. without prii admixture thereof, This apparatus is. in so fa r as regards the fuel feeding mechanism thereof, similar to the mechanism disclosed in the patent issued to Harry F. Smith, No. 1,425.145, dated August 8,1922.

This fuel feeding mechanisn'i comprises a hollow cylindrical member 40 extending above the top 14/ of the producer and rigidly attached thereto and a cooperating cylindrical member 41, rigidly attached to the top of the producer and extending down into the generating chamber. For purposes of description the members 40 and 41, together,

are termed a housing. Rotatably mounted within the housing is a fuel receiving-distributing]:lember 42, the lower end of which xtends a substantial distance beyond the end of the housing and is arranged at substantially a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the housing and of the body of the member 42. This member 42 is rigidly secured to a pipe 43. the upper end of which is fixedly retained within the operating wheel 44. The upper end of the member 42. where it is at.-' tached to the pipe 43, constitutes a spider 45, so that fuel may readily pass downwardly through the spider into the member 42. One arm of this spider has a passage 46 therein to which the pipe :-l3 is connected, the other end being connected to the passage 47 which terminatcs adjacent the lower end of the member 42. and within the end 18 thereof. And the end 48, of the member 42 is offset a suflicicnt distance to retain the fuel therein. That is this otl'set'end extends radially such a distance that the fuel therein may come to Post. assuming its normal angle of repose. The upper end of the member 40 through which the pipe 43 extends is closed, an opening 49 being provided therein, for attachment to a fuel conveyor 50, through which fuel, such as coal, maybe fed into'the housing, and the receiving-distributin g member 42 therein, from any desired place of storage. A gate valve 51 operatively connected by suitable link mechanism 52 to the operating lever 53 being provided for opening or closing the passage. A weight 54, is carried by the handle 53, adapted to normally hold the valve 51 in a closed position.

Connected to the upper end of the hub of the wheel 44 is a pipe 55, which constitutes one element of a swivel joint 56, which may be of any desired conventional description, the joint at its other end being connected to a sleeve 57, within which is threadedly mounted a Vcnturi tube 58. The other end of the sleeve 57 is connected to the pipe 59, through which steam. or other pressure fluid, may be admitted to force the fuel within the member 42, and offset spout 48 into the producer. A cut-off alve 60 of any desired construction, the specific construct ion therefore. not being shown, is positioned within the pipe 59. Also located within the pipe 59 is a whistle valve 61, having an operating lever (32 the through which tar-from the sump"29 is del livered into this tank. Opening into the tank 65 is a pipe 66, the other end of which opens into the pipe 59, the construction being such that pressure within the tank 65, above the tar therein,.wi1lbe the same as the pressure within'tho pipe 59. lVhcn the whistle valve 61 is opened to introduce a blast of pressure fluid to expel the fuel collected within the device through the spout 48, the pressure within the tank 65 will be built up to correspond with the pressure within the pipe 59. Leading off from. the tank adjacent the lower end thereof is .21 pi )e- 67 the other end of which terminates within the Venturi tube 58, this end of the pipe constituting in effect a nozzle, the construction being such that, as pressure fluid passes through the pipe 59, tar, from the tank 65, will be drawn through the pipe 67 and mixed, within the Venturi tube, with the pressure fluid passing thereth'rough, this tar being then introduced into the generating chamber, in the form of a spray, along with the fuel which is blown out of the spout 48. The tar introduced into the generating chamber is thus uniformly distributed over the fuel bed.

The tank 65 is preferably provided with a steam jacket 70, the interior of which is connected to the pipe 59, between the valves 60 and 61, by means of the pipe? 1. This construction is such that the steam jacket 70 is connected to the source of supply of steam throughout the operation of the device. As stated above, when tar return is practiced in accordance with this invention, the resulting tarisafiuid of substanti al 1y the consistency of lubricating oil. No difliculty is noi nally experienced in aspirating the tar from the tank 65, by means of the Venturi tube cb'nstruction disclosed. The steam jacket 70 is, therefore, normally not needed. But where the tar is collected within a. steam jacketed tank it is rendered more fluent, and it may be desirable, at times,-to use such a steam jacketed tank. Also with tar which normally results from the practicing of this method of tar return, the pipe 66 may be dispensed with, the Venturi construction shown being sufficient, of itself, to aspirate the tar. But at times it is desirable to balance the pressures within the tank 65 and the pipe 59 so that the aspirating of the tar willbe facilitated. The pipe 66 may, of course. be dispensed with if desired.

Leading off from the pipe 59, between the valves 60 and 61, is a second pipe the other end of which opensinto the pipe '59, beyond the whistle valve, a control valve 70, of any desired conventional construction being inserted within this pipe. By means of this pipe 75 a suitable quantity of steam or other pressure fluid is atall times, during operation of the device, introduced into the housing 40-41. to prevent leakage of air orgas therethrough.

As described in Patent No. 1,425,145 'abore referredto. the fuel feeding mechanism of the character shown herein is primarily adapted for accurate control of the distributed fuel, so that it may be spotted, that is distributed upon any desired part or spot of the fuelbcd. Operation of this fuel feeding mechanism, therefore, causes an admixture of the coal and of the liquid hydrocarbons, or tar, removed from the gas, and a feeding of this admixed fuel to the generating chamber in such manner that it is proper ly distributed over the fuel bed. Of course, in this form of feeding mechanism, as with the other forms shown herein, the tar admixed with the solid fuel. need not necessarily come from the solid fuel itself but may come from any suitable source.

In the forms ofapparatus described above the tar is admixed with the fuel as itpasses through the fuel feeding mechanism, or is introduced into the generating chamber along with the fuel without prior admixture. If desired the tar and fuel may be admixed with each other and then introduced into the fuel feeding mechanism, through which the admixture is fed int-othe enerating chamber. In Fig. 3 is shown a modihed form of apparature in which the mixing of the tar and coal is entirely independent of the fuel feeding mechanism itself.

In the form of apparatus shown in that figure the coal is fed,by gravity or other suitable means, through the pipe 100, from any place of storage or supply, to the mixing chamber 101. Mounted Within the mixing chamber upon the shaft 102 is the agitating wheel 103, which has a plurality of agitating arms or fingers, the shaft .102 being rotated in any suitable manner, the fingers being correspondingly rotated to stir up and agitate the fuel within the mixing chamber. Opening through the wall of the mixing chamber are a. plurality of nozzles 34, to which tar is supplied through the pipes 33, as is the case with the corresponding parts illustrated in Fig. 1. By means of this construction the tar, which is introduced into the mixing chamber 101, and the fuel which in introduced into thatchamber, are thoroughly agitated and mixed, as the wheel 103 rotates, to cause a substantially uniform admixture of the tar and fuel. Leading off from the mixing chamber 101 is a delivery pipe 105, which opens into'the inlet pipe 106, of the hopper member 107, a valve or gate 108, operated by a suitable lever mechanism 109, being provided for controlling the introduction of fuel into the hopper member.

The top of the hopper is closed by means of the member 110, through which the inlet pipe 106 extends, the lower end of the hopper being attached to the top 14 of the producer and surrounding an opening therein. Positioned within the hopper member 10?, adjacent its lower end is a partition 111, provided with a plurality of openings 112. Mounted within the lower end of the hopper member. and extending downwardly into the generating chamber of the producer, through the opening in the top thereof, is a delivery end, a flange 115, rotatably seated within a receiving groove 116, in the hoppermember,

whereby it is supported, with its upper end in sliding contact with the partition 111. A

rotatable shaft 117 extends downwardly through the hopper member the lower end of the shaft being received within a suitable opening in the spout 113. .As shown the lower end of the shaft is square, and the opening in the member 113 within which this lower end is mounted is of a corresponding shape, so that rotation of the shaft 117 willcause corresponding rotation of the spout 113. Other means of keying the shaft to the spout. may be used. The outer end of the shaft is provided with a gear 118, which meshes with a corresponding gear 119, carried by the shaft 120 connected to any suitable power source. During operation the spout 113 is rotated, thus bringing the passages 114, and the openings 112, into register with each other, to permit the passage of fuel from the hopper 107 through the spout into the generating chamber. The rate of feed of the fuel is dependent upon the rate of rotation of the shaft 117 which in turn controls the frequency with which the openings 112 and the passages 114 register with each other, and the length of time during which those passages remain in register. And the spout- 113, as it rotates, distributes thefuel uniformly over'the fuel bed within the generating chamber.

The fuel introduced into the hopper 107 consists of tar and coal which are admixed within the mixing chamber 101. And the tar introduced into the generating chamber, in this manner, is therefore distributed uniformly over the top of the fuel bed therein.

The invention is described-above in con nection with a producer constructed to oper ate upon bituminous coal, thetar' removed from the generated gas being utilized for return to the generating chamber along with the coal. This'not only increases the-efliciency of the gas generator, but also readily disposes of the tar which would otherwise be a serious problem. But the invention is by no means limited to that specific application.

If desired the invention may be practiced in connection with thegeneration of gas from fuel" which is substantially free "from the hy- Where producer gas is madefrom anthracite coal or coke for drocarbons which form tar.

example, there is substantially no tar formed. If desired tar from an outside source may be mixed with such a fuel and fed into the producer for the generation of gas.

While the method herein described, and

the forms of apparatus for carrying this.

method into effect, constitute preferred embodinients of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method and forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made in either without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: V i

1. In apparatus of the character described, comprising a gas generating chamber adapted to contain a fuel bed; fuel feeding mechanism comprising, in combination, a hopper member, means for introducing solid carbonaceous fuel, such as coal, into said hop er member; means for introducing liquid ydrocarbons, such as tar, into the hopper meniber; means within said hopper member for distributing the tar uniformly throughout the mass of fuel within the hopper member to provide a coating of liquid tar on said fuel; and means for introducing'the admixed fuel and tar into the gas generating chamber.

2. In apparatus of the character described, having a gas generating chamber adapted to contain afuel bed; a fuel feeding mechanism comprising a fuel receivin member, opening into the generating cham er, having means whereby the fuel may be received and retained within said member; means for introducing a pressure fluid, such as steam, into the fuel receiving member to force fuelthercfrom into the generating chamber and means for introducing fluid hydrocarbons, such as tar into the ressure fluid, whereby said tar will be intro uced into the generating chamher along with the fuel.

3. -In apparatus of the character described, having a gas generating chamber ada ted to contain a fuel bed: a fuel feed-ing me? anism comprising ahousing, a fuel receiving spout rotatably mounted within said housing and extending into the generating chamber, means for introducing into the receiving chamberfuel to be distributedwithin the generating chamber-pa supporting pipe connecting the fuel receiving member to a source hydrocarbons, means for connecting the in-[ terior of said tank above the level of the liquid therein to the said fluid pressure sup ply pipe, means for connectingthe interior of sald tank below the level of the fluid there-- in to the interior of said supply pipe for sup.- plying liquid hydrocarbon from said tank to the fluid pressure supply pipe.

4. In apparatus of the character described.

having a gas generating chamber adapted to contain a fuel bed; a fuel feeding mechanism comprising a housing, a fuel receiving member rotatably mounted within said housing and extending into the generating chamber, a supporting pipe connected to said fuel a rece ving member and extending upwardly through said housing, a pressure fluid supply no i 'pipe, a swivel coupling connecting thefsaid pipe connected at one end to the interior of pressure fluid supply pipe and the supportthe tank below the level of the liquid therein 10 ing pipe, at constructed portion in said supand at the other end. opening into the said ply pipe in the nature of a venturi; a tank for venturi-like constriction.

5 containing a liquid hydrocarbon such as tar, In testimony whereof I hereto affix my siga pipe connecting the said tank above the level nature. of the liquid therein to the fluid pressure supply pipe above the constriction, and a second HARRY F. SMITH. 

